But after bringing in new staff and tightening up procedures, the Kingswood pub has been given a five rating.

Oyster Catcher’s manager, Phil Crossland, said: “We’re really pleased to have achieved a five-star food hygiene rating. This is very much due to the hard work of the team, our focus on improving standards and keeping a close check that we maintain these standards day in, day out.

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“Over the last few weeks we have been working closely with Hull City Council to ensure all the issues raised were fixed, which included myself joining the business as manager, an immediate clean of the kitchen and team retraining.

Staff around the salad bar at the Oystercatcher pub in Kingswood which has gone from a zero food hygiene rating to a top score of five (Image: Simon Renilson)

“We hope that our guests who have visited us recently have enjoyed their experience and are reassured food safety standards are our top priority.”

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He said: "The Oystercatcher is now rated as ‘very good’ on the Food Hygiene Ratings Scheme and resulted from an unannounced re-inspection/re-score by an environmental health officer.

“Over the last few months the business has worked in close liaison with us to achieve this improvement in their food safety standards.

Dirty cooker at the Oyster Catcher

“Significant improvements have been made and, we will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that standards are maintained. We are looking for a long-term change and not just a quick response that then lapses back to previous standards, that were simply not acceptable.”

In a report, the inspector who visited in June raised a number of concerns.

The inspector said: "The conditions found at the time of the inspection were of such a low standard that a voluntary closure of the food operation at these premises was undertaken by the duty manager."

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Mr Turner has also expressed concerns about proposed new regulations which he feels could see major pub, restaurant and supermarket chains become less accountable.

He said: “The Food Standards Agency is currently looking at the national delivery of food safety enforcement with its Regulating Our Future (ROF) programme.

“One strand of this project is for larger pub, restaurant and supermarket chains to be allowed a degree of earned autonomy based upon a series of in-house and third party checks and audits.

The Oystercatcher pub in Kingswood has gone from a zero food hygiene rating to a top score of five

“This situation is perhaps an example of where those plans might be jeopardised. The previous failures were detected by a proactive inspection by the council’s inspectors when the system of own checks by the company should have worked.”

Any food business which receives a rating of less than five can apply for a re-inspection/re-score if they feel that all of the items highlighted in their written inspection report have been tackled and that all other food safety standards are being maintained. Go to www.hullcc.gov.uk to fill out the form.